Mosque In America...Part II by Jamil Shawwa

Before I get to the bottom line here, I heard in the news that the Imam-the head of the proposed mosque- went on a trip to Arab and Islamic countries to get guidance on how to deal with the mosque issues in New York City. If it is the case, then we have a problem. First, the Islamic and Arab countries are the last on earth to give a comprehensive advice regarding their own affairs and their dealing with their own people, they have no credibility in and out, lest to say to give an advice on an American issue first and foremost. The mosque is not an Islamic world or Arab world issue, it is an American issue, and the mosque is an American mosque. It is an American problem. Second: this Imam, if the story is true, would have made a mistake in transforming again an American issue to the outside world, what next, go to Iran, the masters of deception, hypocrisy and demagoguery to get an advice. This Imam would, if it were the case, put an end to what it looks like a decent and normal request to build a place of faith that got all the necessary licenses. The issue right now is not Muslim, mosque, or ground zero buildings, the issue goes deep into what we believe in as Americans, do we believe in our constituation or do we believe in the constitution if it fits certain criteria and certain people or certain beliefs. Do we believe that Islam is part of the American recognized package of faiths or not, and I will go further, do we believe that Islam is an American religion as Judaism and Christianity or not. Everyone who is standing for everything that is American is being tarnished and distorted and on top of the list is the president of the Untied States who is getting accused of everything that there is to be accused of because he acted as any president should act and protects the rights granted in the US constitution to all Americans. There is a campaign to terrorize anyone that stands for the constitution and this must be stopped, not because it is right or wrong, or because people are asking other people to be kind or nice, far from it. It must be stopped because it is unconstitutional and must be fought using all the legal means.    The conversation right now is getting even more dangerous in my opinion. Those that are opposing the idea of the mosque altogether are expressing it freely and directly which is healthy. The problem in my opinion resides with those that are not opposing the mosque creation and building, but is with those that are opposing the location and the signals of having it next to ground zero in New York City. These voices ranging from Sara Palin, to Karen Hughes, George W. Bush's press secretary, to others in the media, asking Muslims to understand the feelings and to appreciate the emotions of those that lost loved ones during the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks. Those voices are the dangerous ones, they are asking the Muslims to go to a corner, to be isolated, to have certain areas that they can build their mosques on and that they cannot, they are asking the Muslims to be treated like the Japanese during World War II, isolate them to protect them. Today is New York City ground zero, tomorrow is a mosque location in Tennessee, next week who knows. Maybe we will start hearing voices asking to expel Muslims from the United States because we care about them and we do not want to hurt them. We are hearing all kinds of things that are to say the least against everything this Republic called America was built on. We are hearing people asking to repel the 14th amendment to the constitution that grant US citizenship to any one that is born in the US, we are having demagogues running the State of Arizona and creating a law that would create in that desert state on the border of Mexico a police state; the federal government right now is fighting this law rightly so as unconstitutional. The stories goes on and on. In the news today, a woman claims that she did not get a job at Disney because she wears the Hijab, head cover. Muslims are afraid to say what they are and what they believe in, stories of people all over the US afraid of going to Friday prayers, the weekly prayers for Muslims, equivalent to Saturday for the Jewish faith and Sunday for the Christian faith, fearing that they will be exposed. Where are we now and where are we heading; all this must be stopped, all these none-American fear campaigns, though it is fine to express freely, must not go beyond expression. If we allow few tens of people amongst over 308 million Americans, the US population according to the 2010 Census bureau, to terrorize the media and the politicians and dictate a life style that to say the least truly very dangerous, but deny legitimate entities, by legitimate American citizens form expressing their legitimate and constitutional right to build and practice their religion anywhere in America, then, in my opinion, this would be a catastrophic constitutional breach that should be fought using all the legal and the constitutional means. For God's sake, we allow anyone to build anything in America as long as they have the necessary licenses. As silly as it might seems and sounds, I like this Right to continue.